


snow is glistening

by atfcx



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: (possibly), Ambiguous/Open Ending, Car Accidents, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Deer, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mystery, Open to Interpretation, Other, Snow, basically this can be interpreted however you want, car crash, car journey, travelling home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 15:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9078751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atfcx/pseuds/atfcx
Summary: "I kind of crashed.  Into a tree.  My legs are being crushed.”There was silence for a long time before Josh spluttered out a reply.  “Crushed?  Why haven't you phoned the police?  I'm phoning them, hold--”“No.  No police.  I think I hit someone.  Or maybe... maybe it was a deer.  I don't know.”  Tyler could just barely make out a large shadow on the front of his car.  “Yeah, it was a deer.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> this was meant to be posted on christmas eve but the archive hasn't let me post anything since those errors that happened, even though i've been trying several times a day. since it's finally working now, here you go, enjoy, and merry december 27th!

The blasting of the radio helped to shroud the feeling of loneliness that threatened to envelop him. Snow pounded relentlessly against the wind-shield, the wipers working in overdrive in a futile attempt to hinder its progress. Tyler, as always, had left things to the last minute. He had been expecting to get a train across the country and be at Josh's in time for Christmas; the unpredicted arrival of a killer storm had halted his plans before they'd even started. Since staying home was not an option, he had to make the long journey by car instead. The engine occasionally stuttered, a worrying sign, and he was careful to not push the old car too hard as he sped along the country roads that marked the final half hour before he would reach Josh, surprised that the stupid thing had lasted so long already. He had the roads entirely to himself; unsurprising considering it was 11pm, on Christmas Eve, in the middle of a snowstorm.

Too preoccupied by the music filling the little car, he turned a corner too fast and felt the back wheels skidding across the icy ground. He wrenched the wheel to the side in an attempt to help the tires grip the road once again; just after he did so, he spotted the figure.

They were just standing there. In the middle of the road.

Tyler did nothing, just stared in mute horror as the car sped onwards.

Just as it seemed sure he'd hit them, the mystery figure vanished right before his eyes. Blinking, he felt complete calm wash over him, all his worries evaporating.

Then something very large and very heavy landed on the wind-shield. Instinctively he raised both hands to protect his face even as the glass gave way and the car collided with a tree, wrapping itself around the bark. As the radio went silent, Tyler's vision went dark.

The next thing he could remember was pain. Pain pain pain. In his head, from which he appeared to be bleeding quite heavily, but that was nothing compared to the agony in his legs. He should've screamed, should've passed out from the excruciating torture of it all. Instead he felt only calmness. His arms were free, and he looked down to find his phone sitting innocently on his stomach. It was unlocked and opened on Josh's contact. Picking it up, he did the most obvious thing he could think of. He phoned Josh.

“Tyler?” came a sleepy voice from the other end of the line, miraculously undisturbed despite the howling winds. Relief flooded through Tyler, and he forgot to answer. “Tyler,” Josh repeated, now sounding more awake and urgent. “Why aren't you here yet, are you okay?”

Tyler shrugged. “Well... I'm kind of... I kind of crashed. Into a tree. My legs are trapped. They're being crushed.”

There was silence for a long time before Josh spluttered out a reply. “ _Crushed?_ Why haven't you phoned someone? I'm phoning the police now, hold--”

“No.” Tyler cut him off quickly, surprised by the panic that welled up in him. “No police. I think I hit someone. Or maybe... maybe it was a deer. I don't know, Josh.” Josh was again silent, giving Tyler more time to study his current situation. If he squinted he could just barely make out a large shadow on the front of his car, almost obscured by the gloom and the snow. It was distinctly deer-shaped. “Yeah, it was a deer.” He could see the blood now, glowing bright red, but perhaps that wasn't real and he was simply becoming delirious?

“Explain,” Josh growled quietly. “Explain and then I'm calling the police and an ambulance.”

“There was someone just standing in the middle of the road. Couldn't stop. But right before I hit them they disappeared and suddenly a deer comes crashing into my car.”

“Are you okay?” Josh whispered. Somehow Tyler found himself laughing, huge gasps of air escaping him. “My legs are being crushed and I'm bleeding from my head, Josh, I don't think I'm okay.”

“That wasn't... never-mind...” Josh murmured. He fell silent for a second before speaking again. This time, his voice was louder and more self-assured. “Where exactly are you? So I can give them a location.”

“Dunno.” Tyler shrugged again. “Not too far. Lots of fields. Last house I passed was like twenty minutes ago.” As soon as he said it he realised he had no idea how long he'd been unconscious for.

“I think I know where you are.” Josh seemed to go to hang up.

“Wait,” Tyler whispered.

“Yeah?”

“What time is it, Josh?”

He heard some quiet scuffling before the other answered. “Coming up quarter past midnight.”

“Merry Christmas, Josh.”

He could hear Josh's smile. “Merry Christmas, Tyler.” His voice was soft, gentle, as though he were speaking to a child. “I'm gonna hang up now and call them, okay? Hang in there buddy.”

“Okay,” Tyler answered weakly, more to himself.

The line went dead.

**

When police arrived at the scene, they found a brand-new-looking Audi smashed up against a large oak tree. There was no bodies, neither human nor deer, present. The only sign that someone had been there in the first place was a streak of blood on the leather driver's seat.


End file.
